Woman Making Green Tea (Photo : Reuters)
Doctors have reported that a girl who drank tea to lose weight acquired severe health conditions including hepatitis. After consuming herbal green tea bought online, she was prescribed antibiotics for side-effects such as nausea, and joint and stomach pain, after being diagnosed with urinary tract infection (UTI). However, the patient was later admitted to the hospital emergency room with worse symptoms, including the liver-affecting disease.
The case study was published in the British Medical Journal Reports. It involved an anonymous 16-year-old British teenager born in Yemen.
After was she admitted to the hospital due to her joint pain and dizziness, the youngster became scared while undergoing several tests. She was unsure what was wrong.
The British teen's physicians figured out that the patient had acute hepatitis (inflamed live), after conducting tests to find viral infections. She ceased drinking the green tea, and was given medications and intravenous (through veins) fluids, according to ABC News. The teen then recovered within two months.
British doctors believe the tea contained microbes that infected the girl's liver function. Green tea is usually a quite safe and healthy beverage, but additives can cause health problems.
When chemicals are added, such as to boost weight loss, the result can be "hepatotoxicity." This is liver damage caused by chemicals.
Dr. Donna Seger is the Tennessee Poison Center's head. She explained that it is important to know about the origin of herbal tea and supplements such as pills, powders, and extracts bought online.
The tea the teen bought included instructions in Chinese. She drank three cups daily, which could have boosted the effects of the plant-based drink's additives and pesticides, according to Madame Noire.
Such "natural" products can have high toxicity levels. The liver is often the first organ to signal them due to its function of filtering out dangerous toxins.
Tea is the world's second-most popular beverage, following only coffee. The main types are green, black, Oolong, and white.
Here are some fo the health benefits of green tea:
